Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is one of the most anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe projects ever. The titular concept of the “multiverse” gives the franchise almost unlimited storytelling possibilities, as the filmmakers can now presumably create entire new worlds to suit their needs. It also allows for the possibility of returns by versions of old characters from alternate realities, which could lead to cameos from MCU cast members or even the stars of other Marvel properties, as in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Because of this, rumors and fan wishes for specific cast additions have been flying left and right throughout the film’s production, with pretty much every actor who has ever been associated with Marvel in any way being named, and plenty who would be completely new to the MCU. The film’s officially revealed cast includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, and Benedict Wong reprising their roles from the first Doctor Strange film, alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, who stars as Stephen Strange, Elizabeth Olsen, reprising her MCU role as Wanda Maximoff/the Scarlet Witch, and Xochitl Gomez, who will debut as America Chavez. Below I’ve listed my last minute thoughts on what characters and actors I think would be good fits for the movie, as well as a few that I think are best left out.
Note: By no means do I think everyone in the should category needs to or will appear, as that would likely result in an incoherent mess of a film. I just think any of them would be good choices.
Should Appear: Hawkeye.
Olsen’s part in the film is said to be a major one that will continue the character arc Wanda began in Disney+ series WandaVision. That arc is about Wanda struggling with mental illness and grief in the wake of all the tragedy she has endured and though she ended the series in a surprisingly healthy state, its post-credit scene suggests that Wanda will be on an especially desperate, personal mission when next we see her. While it makes sense for her to go to Doctor Strange for mystical advice, based on her previous experiences the first superhero she would call on for personal help would probably be Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton/Hawkeye. The superhero archer is the (living) Avenger Wanda is closest to and the two share an intense bond. Wanda’s twin brother Pietro died saving Clint’s life and since then Clint has served as something of a surrogate father for his lonely teammate. He’s always been there to encourage Wanda in her efforts to better herself and Renner and Olsen’s chemistry is always a highlight of the films they co-star in. Clint could very well be key to helping Wanda stay sane and overcome whatever new challenges she’ll face. Plus, Clint’s reactions to outlandish superhero events are always funny given his lack of powers and self-deprecation so placing him in a story full of magic would be amusing. If an actual appearance isn’t on the table Clint and his relationship with Wanda should at least be referenced at some point or the film risks ignoring a significant part of one of its main character’s lives.
Shouldn’t Appear: Hydra Cap.
In 2016, Marvel delivered arguably the most distasteful plot twist in its history when it revealed that as the result of an altered history, Steve Rogers/Captain America was now a sleeper agent for Hydra, the Nazi terrorist organization he had been battling for decades. Eventually the Hydra version and the original Steve were made into separate beings but not before the former nearly conquered the United States in the Secret Empire event. The storyline rightfully caused outrage for corrupting Cap’s image, but it does have its fans, many of whom have called for it to be adapted by the MCU in some way. With the multiverse presumably offering the chance to introduce alternate versions of characters from different realities and Chris Evans rumored to be making a return to Marvel, Doctor Strange 2 could potentially feature a live-action Hydra Cap, but it shouldn’t under any circumstances. Evans’ MCU version of Steve is an iconic symbol of what America should be, not what it is, arguably even more so than the comic iteration has ever been. With Nazi-like beliefs still disturbingly present in America and other parts of the world no one needs to see a beloved cultural hero become one. There’s a sly reference to Secret Empire in Avengers: Endgame that is admittedly pretty funny but that’s where the MCU iteration of it should end. But that doesn’t mean the Multiverse of Madness can’t feature another version of Cap.
Should: Chris Evans as… Someone.
Hydra Cap should be off the table but that doesn’t necessarily mean Chris Evans has to be excluded from the film. The multiverse allows the filmmakers to create any kind of new Steve Rogers they want that can still be wildly different from the original MCU iteration without being a Nazi.
And Evans doesn’t even have to be limited to only playing versions of Steve, either. DC’s live-action multiverse has shown how it can be fun to have actors play entirely different characters from their usual ones when in different universes, so there’s no reason Marvel can’t do the same and Evans would be the perfect actor to try this out with, as Cap wasn’t actually his first Marvel role. Before Captain America: The First Avenger was even being developed Evans was a main cast member in Tim Story and 20th Century Fox’s Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer, in which he played Johnny Storm/the Human Torch. With Disney having bought Fox the Fantastic Four’s movie rights are back at Marvel, with a reboot film slated to be released sometime in the relatively near future. The Story films were panned but Evans’ performances as Johnny were warmly received by fans, so if Multiverse of Madness is seeking to pay tribute to past Marvel films, he’s the cast member to get. It would send the message that Marvel’s First Family are an important part of its cinematic future and seeing Evans, who MCU viewers are used to having Cap’s noble, straight arrow demeanor, playing a brash jokester like Johnny would be a great way to subvert expectations.
Shouldn’t: Alternate Iron Man.
Many of the MCU’s actors have become absolutely iconic in their roles but several of them also weren’t the first or only choices to play the parts. Many of the franchise’s key characters had other actors associated with them for portions of time and rumor has it that some of these runners-up might appear as alternate reality versions of the characters they were considered for going forward and there’s no better place to debut some of these “imagine if” castings than in the Doctor Strange sequel. But there’s one character that should be left out of the multiversal recasting and that’s Iron Man.
It’s well-known that Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as Tony Stark was initially controversial, with Jon Favreau having to fight against executives’ calls for a more “reliable” lead, with maybe the most famous alternate choice being Tom Cruise. But of course, Favreau won out and the rest is history. And while debuting another actor in the role would surely demonstrate the limitless possibilities of the multiverse, it would also diminish one of the franchise’s greatest successes. Downey Jr.’s performances in the part and the similarities between his real-life personal and career trajectories and the characters’ make his Tony one of the most unique and compelling characters in cinema. While it seems almost inevitable that someone else will play the role eventually, whether through a reboot or some other means, having them do so soon after Downey Jr. made his spectacular exit in Avengers: Endgame feels wrong. The audience needs more time to get used to the character and actors’ absence so that if and when Tony returns in whatever form, it has the maximum impact and recasting the role any time in the next couple years risks ruining that.
Regarding Cruise specifically, while the idea of him playing Iron Man is definitely interesting it’s also probably more trouble than it’s worth. While a wildly entertaining and thoroughly accomplished actor, Cruise is also known for being very controlling with his films, so there’s a good chance his ego could cause needless conflict with Marvel creators, who are known for being more than a little controlling themselves at times.
Should: John Krasinski and Emily Blunt.
No one else should play Tony for a while but the idea of using actors who were almost cast in the roles they missed out on is still a fun way to take advantage of the multiverse and is something DC hasn’t done with the concept yet. A-list Hollywood couple John Krasinski and Emily Blunt have both frequently been associated with the MCU despite never actually appearing in it (yet). Krasinski was famously in the running to play Captain America and Blunt was actually selected to play Natasha Romanoff/the Black Widow in Iron Man 2 but scheduling conflicts prevented her from doing so, leading Scarlett Johansson to be cast in what would be the latter’s career-defining role. The two of them have continued to be mentioned in relation to various Marvel parts by rumors for years, often being fancast as Fantastic Four couple Reed Richards and Sue Storm. Regardless if they wind up in the FF reboot or not, seeing Krasinski and Blunt finally turn up in any Marvel roles would be a great meta gag for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, though I suppose it may confuse general audiences who don’t follow movie production.
Should: Loki, Or One Of His Castmates
Yes, Thor’s sometimes evil brother died a heroic death in Avengers: Infinity War that, unlike his past fatal experiences actually seems to be permanent, but Tony Stark and Scott Lang’s unsuccessful attempt to steal the Tesseract/Cosmic Cube from Tony’s past self in Endgame created an alternate timeline in which Loki escaped with the Cube following the Battle of New York. Tom Hiddleston once again stars as this version of Loki in the self-titled Disney+ spinoff series which was responsible for introducing the concepts of the multiverse and variants to the MCU. Given the fact that Loki creator and head writer Michael Waldron is also a co-writer on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if the God of Mischief were to appear in the film. Hiddleston’s Loki is rightfully a fan-favorite character and predates Strange as the MCU’s first major sorcerer and Strange got the better of the original version during his Thor: Ragnarok cameo a bit too easily, so Strange’s film returning the favor with a Loki cameo in which the adopted Asgardian comes across a bit more formidable would only be fair.
Ironically, the one thing preventing Loki the character from making his way into Multiverse of Madness may be Loki the show. The series’ first season ended on a dramatic cliffhanger so the creators may be weary of revealing what becomes of Loki in its aftermath before Season 2. Still, there are other cast members from the series who could be fitted into the film more easily. Both Sophia Di Martino’s Sylvie and Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s Ravonna Renslayer were headed towards uncertain futures in the finale and would make sense as players in a multiversal conflict, as would a variant of Jonathan Majors’ Kang, who was portrayed as the driving force behind the multiverse storyline in Loki.
Should: A Ghost Rider
With many of the comics’ most iconic heroes thriving in the MCU it’s time for the franchise to begin wading into the anti-heroes and some that would be a natural fit for appearances in a Doctor Strange film are any of the many Ghost Riders. The Riders are some of the most popular mystical characters the comics have so at least one flaming-skulled Spirit of Vengeance feels like a must for the MCU’s next big mystical event film. As for which of the many Riders would be best suited to appear in Multiverse of Madness that depends on how the movie shapes up but there’s already a few live-action versions to choose from. Nicholas Cage played Johnny Blaze, arguably the most famous Rider, in two stand-alone Ghost Rider movies before the character’s film rights returned to Marvel. But while some enjoy the eccentric actor’s characteristically manic performance in the part, both films were critically panned and not major commercial successes so Marvel Studios may wish to avoid associating with them by bringing Cage back. That could mean simply casting a new Rider but there is also another live-action version who definitely deserves a comeback.
Gabriel Luna played the Robbie Reyes version of Ghost Rider in the fourth season of the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. television series. Although he only appeared in nine episodes of the show Luna’s character became an instant fan-favorite and he was even set to receive a Hulu spin-off series before it was shut down when the independent Marvel Television department was eliminated. Some other popular Marvel TV characters have already been folded back into the larger MCU recently so the studio might as well give Luna another shot as the Spirit of Vengeance and Multiverse of Madness is really the perfect project for him to return in for multiple reasons.
In addition to being acclaimed for his intimidating yet nuanced performance Luna’s Ghost Rider was tied to various elements of Marvel mythology that the Doctor Strange sequel will be exploring during his time on Shield. Robbie eventually realized that part of his duty as the Ghost Rider was to stop objects or beings from other dimensions from being brought to Earth and in his final appearance, he demonstrated the ability to travel between dimensions himself. He was also charged with hiding the Darkhold, a powerful dark magic book that Shield’s enemies used. The Darkhold eventually resurfaced in both Runaways and, more important to Doctor Strange’s future, WandaVision, where it was last seen in Wanda’s possession. The Darkhold looked different on WandaVision than it did on Shield and whether or not the latter show is still MCU canon is still frustratingly unclear but that doesn’t preclude Robbie from being tied to it. Changing its appearance can be assumed to be well within the Darkhold’s power (or that of one of its owners) and the movie wouldn’t have to delve into Shield lore too heavily, as it could simply reintroduce Robbie and acknowledge that he’s encountered the book before. However, it chooses to do so, including Robbie in the movie seems like too perfect an opportunity to pass up.
But should the film want to use a different option there is still a way they could nod to Shield. In the series, Robbie explains that he received his Ghost Rider spirit from a previous Rider who transferred it to him after he was shot by a street gang. It is heavily implied that this other Rider, whose human face is never seen, is a version of Blaze and another episode suggests that he was a previous owner of the Darkhold. The creators of Doctor Strange 2 could easily cast an actor to play this role as a way to respect Shield canon while still being largely free to create most aspects of the character the way they want to.
Should: Blade.
Another horror hero who would make for a logical inclusion is Blade. The fan-favorite vampire hunter, himself part vampire, is a very significant figure in Marvel’s multimedia history. A trilogy of films featuring Wesley Snipes in the role was made by New Line Media around the turn of the century, with the first being released in 1998. Blade is very much a horror film and neither it nor its sequels were acclaimed, per se, but it was popular and is significant to the history of the superhero genre because of its timing. 1997 saw the release of the critically reviled Batman and Robin, which encapsulated the increasing silliness that was overtaking comic book films at the time and almost doomed the genre. Blade served as a welcome reminder that the genre was capable of more serious works and deserves credit for keeping it alive until it was revitalized by X-Men and Spider-Man a few years later. Snipes proved to be utterly perfect for the role as well and his version of the character is still seen as iconic and has led to significant alterations to the comics version of Blade. This sets a high standard for the MCU to live up to with its Blade but it is already on the right track. In 2019 it was announced that two-time Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali would be taking on the role. Ali is set to headline a Blade reboot directed by Bassam Tariq but he’s already debuted as the character with a brief voice-over cameo in the post-credits scene of Eternals and many expect the character to appear in one or more upcoming projects prior to the solo film. Multiverse of Madness would be a very sensible place for him to do so for several reasons. Blade and Strange frequently encounter one another in the comics and the sequel has been teased as featuring horror elements, so it would presumably feature the right tone to introduce the Daywalker. Ali is probably more likely to appear but Snipes could also be brought back through the multiverse to pay tribute to his influential role in the histories of the character and Marvel in general. Even more exciting would be a meeting of the two, which could be a great passing of the torch moment before Ali’s tenure begins in full.
Should: Mephisto.
A constant element of the discourse about Marvel’s Phase 4 projects has been talk of Mephisto being introduced into the MCU. In the comics the demonic character often serves as Marvel’s stand-in for Satan, whose name he has sometimes used, for stories requiring a devil-like character. Given that multiple Phase 4 projects have made frequent references, both implied and explicit, to the devil, fans have repeatedly assumed the villain would be featured in projects like WandaVision and Loki, only for him to ultimately not be included. These theories were so omnipresent that reference to the character has now become a popular meme among the fandom. But while part of the fun of this has come from the character not actually being adapted, he could still be an interesting addition to the franchise and Doctor Strange 2 would be a logical place for his introduction. The film’s marketing has made it clear that some kind of mystical conspiracy is manipulating Stephen Strange, Wanda Maximoff, and the world around them. Mephisto is frequently involved with both characters in the comics so he would make sense as the string-puller behind it all and his introduction would be even more exciting for fans given the past mistaken assumptions of his appearance.
One possible hindrance to a Mephisto appearance is the religious significance of the character. Marvel has a history of limiting content that specific subsets of viewers may object to so they may be hesitant to include a character whose appearance could lead to criticism from highly religious groups. But this may not be as big an issue as some think. First of all, elements of Mephisto could always be blended with those of similar characters like Chthon or Nightmare to create a composite live-action character, possibly with a name that doesn’t have the Satanic implications Mephisto’s does. Marvel Studios has combined separate characters in the past so there is precedent for this kind of tactic. But it may not even be necessary. Multiverse of Madness is a film about a sorcerer and also involves a literal witch, after all. People who would be religiously opposed to a film with a devil-like character are likely opposed to the film’s other occult elements and will probably avoid it altogether, making reluctance to include a direct adaptation of Mephisto because of fear of their reactions pointless.
Shouldn’t: Doctor Doom.
In addition to the Fantastic Four themselves fans are eagerly anticipating the MCU debut of their archenemy, Doctor Victor von Doom. Like his heroic counterparts, the iconic Marvel villain has yet to be adapted into live-action well and the hope is that Kevin Feige and company can give Doom the treatment he deserves, and ideally sooner rather than later. Doom’s influence extends far beyond the FF in the comics, with the Latverian dictator often posing threats to all corners of the Marvel universe, which has led many to speculate that the character could be introduced to the MCU in a property other than the upcoming reboot, with some suggesting Multiverse of Madness as a possible arrival point. Doom is known for combining mystical and scientific knowledge and has frequently crossed paths with Stephen Strange in the comics, notably in the acclaimed “Triumph and Torment” storyline, so the suggestion makes sense. But that doesn’t mean it should come true. There are already a lot of storylines and characters the film has to service, within a runtime that is reported to be a relatively brief two hours and six minutes, making it unlikely there is room to give Doom as majestic a debut as he deserves. Some references or allusions to the character and his mythos would be welcome but it’s likely best that Marvel holds off on the full reveal until a later project.
Should: Magneto.
One of the most exciting elements of the film for longtime Marvel fans is the all but confirmed return of actor Sir Patrick Stewart in the role of Charles Xavier, which he played for almost two decades in Fox’s X-Men franchise. Even the addition of one X-Men character makes Multiverse of Madness one of the most significant crossovers in live-action Marvel history, but to really send fans over the moon, Charles should be joined by his lifelong frenemy, Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto, played in the films by Sir Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender, who also has ties to one of the film’s stars. Although the exact nature of their relationship has been repeatedly retconned, for most of the comics’ history it’s been said that Wanda and Pietro are Magneto’s children, and paying tribute to this by having the former and latter cross paths would be delightful. In addition, it would make up for the disappointing use of X-Men actor Evan Peters in WandaVision, the most universally criticized element of that otherwise excellent series.
There’s been no indication in the MCU so far that Wanda and Pietro’s father is anyone other than the working class Sokovian man who raised them and retconning Erik into their history may be too convoluted for what’s already shaping up to be a complicated film. But there’s still plenty of dramatic potential inherent in the idea of Wanda meeting Erik, even without their familial relationship. Erik lost his family and community in the Holocaust, during which he was himself subjected to horrific Nazi experiments, and Fassbender’s version later also suffered the deaths of his wife, daughter, and decades-long friend Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence). He’s one of the few characters who has endured as much, if not more tragedy as Wanda has and like her he has reacted differently to it at points, sometimes abusing his powers in dangerous ways but also acting heroically in many instances. Given this, a meeting between the two characters would be emotionally significant for both and Erik’s shifting morality means it could be approached in different ways. If Multiverse of Madness were to cast him in his more frequent role as a sympathetic villain Erik could serve as an example to Wanda of what she could become if she allows her grief to consume her again. Conversely, Erik would also make sense as the one hero who could convince Wanda to come back to the side of the angels, should she go down a dark path again. Either Magneto actor returning to the part would delight fans, as both castings are considered in the upper echelons of live-action comic book portrayals. The older McKellen would be more believable as Olsen’s father but Fassbender is presumably more capable of both performing elaborate action sequences and returning for future projects should a possible reprisal be more than a one-off appearance.
Shouldn’t: Another Actor as Strange.
Stephen Strange himself is one of the MCU roles in which other actors were famously considered, with future Moon Knight star Ethan Hawke and Joaquin Phoenix just some of the big names associated with the role at points, before Cumberbatch was ultimately cast. But while it may seem like an interesting idea to have one of his peers encounter Cumberbatch as a different Strange variant, I think it’s best the film avoid this. Multiverse of Madness is already shaping up to be a jam-packed crossover, which will make it difficult enough for Cumberbatch’s Strange to get the attention he deserves, and this potential problem would only be made worse by bringing in an entirely different actor as the character. Fortunately, the film’s marketing, which has already shown several different Stranges all played by Cumberbatch, indicates that the creators were aware of this and chose to let their star’s top-tier acting distinguish between the different versions of the character, as they should.
Should: Other X-Men.
Xavier himself is hugely exciting and Magneto would be the next logical choice for inclusion but it would be even better if some other members of the X-Men cast were brought back as well. Both the original trilogy and the First Class movies featured massively talented ensembles as an assortment of beloved characters and it would be great to see some of them brought back for a last hurrah before Marvel Studios introduces its own mutant community. Spider-Man: No Way Home became a huge success by paying homage to the entire history of Spider-Man films and the X-Men deserve the same kind of tribute, especially as it was the original X-Men film that more than anything made the current superhero movie golden age possible. As for which characters specifically would be best to use? Almost any would be welcome. All the X-Men movies had their own standout characters but there were also some who never got quite as much time in the spotlight as they should have. Bringing one of the latter group back for a more dynamic role would be great. Marvel Studios would have the undying respect of a lot of X-Men fans if, for example, it gave James Marsden the opportunity to play Cyclops as the commanding and powerful leader he’s supposed to be.
That all being said, there is one mutant who the creators should think long and hard before reintroducing.
Either Way: Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.
Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine is the one superhero casting that rivals or even exceeds Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark in terms of just how perfect it was. Jackman portrayed Logan for the majority of the Fox era, appearing in nine films over a period of seventeen years. His performances were praised for bringing the right mixture of rage and humanity to the role and for accurately portraying many aspects of the character’s comic book personality while also adding his own unique characteristics. His enthusiasm and dedication to the part made him the most consistent strength of the franchise which makes it all the more unfortunate his tenure ended before a crossover with the characters of the MCU, something Jackman himself was strongly in favor of, came to pass. The multiverse offers the chance to rectify this but doing so also risks reducing the impact of the character’s ending.
Jackman retired from the role after appearing in Logan, the third spin-off film dedicated to his Wolverine. The film and his performance received universal acclaim for doing what few superhero franchises had done at this point, giving the character a satisfying ending that was not open-ended. Logan ends with the titular character sacrificing his life to save a group of young mutants, including his cloned daughter, Laura (Dafne Keen). He was shown finding peace after many lifetimes of violence and tragedy in one of the most beautiful moments in modern film.
Given the limitless possibilities of the multiverse and the X-Men films’ own notoriously unorganized continuity there are plenty of ways to feature a version of the character in Multiverse of Madness or a later film but doing so is a double-edged sword. On the one hand it would create viewer enthusiasm to rival that of Endgame or No Way Home. On the other, it could mean that Jackman would go out with a less praised appearance if the actual quality of the film isn’t equal to Logan’s.
One way to pay tribute to Logan (the character and film) without dampening the impact of Jackman’s exit might be to bring in Laura instead. As in the comics she shares her father’s powers and some aspects of his personality and is set on a path to serve as his successor as a mutant hero herself. Keen’s performance was praised and Disney acquired Fox there were tentative plans for her to reprise the role in future films including a possible spin-off. Bringing Keen into the MCU’s multiverse saga seems like the best and most intuitive way to continue Laura’s story and pay homage to Wolverine and the X-Men’s history without altering it. However, as cautious as I am about Jackman returning as Logan, if it was done well nothing would make me happier. It is worth noting that Stewart appeared in Logan in an acclaimed role as well and was, similar to Jackman, upfront about stating that he was so proud of the film that he believed it would be the final time he played Xavier. If Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was good enough to change his mind, you never know…
Greg Goes to the Movies 